Only Truls can beat Truls 🏓

Yesterday’s WTT final in table tennis was a reminder of something bigger than sport.

Truls Möregårdh faced Tomokazu Harimoto — a world-class player and a worthy winner. Yet watching the match, one thought kept returning:
No one really beats Truls — except Truls himself

What I mean is this: Truls has developed a level of innovation and variation in his game that few opponents truly know how to handle. His creativity, unpredictability and feel for the game are rare. And yet, like many great talents, he sometimes chooses to play on the opponent’s terms — matching their strengths rather than fully leaning into his own.

It’s an honorable way to compete. Measuring yourself against the best on their strongest ground takes courage.
But it can also be a missed opportunity — especially when you already possess something historically unique.

This doesn’t only apply to sport.

Many companies — not least Swedish ones — are like Truls. They are outstanding innovators, yet choose to play on the opponent’s terms instead of amplifying what makes them different. Often, the winning move isn’t to play better by someone else’s rules, but to change the game entirely.

So the question remains:
How often do we lose — not because we’re weaker, but because we don’t fully trust our own strengths?

What do you think?
And what would Truls say?